OP NEW ENGLAND. 118 



The first tarsal joint is still more arcuate than in B. penn- 

 sylvanicus, and broader, while the remaining joints are 

 shorter and thicker and more fuscous. Length, .80 .85 ; 

 breadth, .45 inch. 



Worker, length, .55 .60 ; breadth, .25 .30 inch. 



This species replaces B. pennsylvanicus, in Maine 

 where it is one of the most abundant species. The females 

 are common early in the spring, while the workers 

 first appear in the middle of June. I have one worker 

 from Mr. Sanborn collected about Boston. It may be 

 easily mistaken for De Geer's B. pennsylvanicus but it is 

 shorter, broader and somewhat smaller. In form more 

 regularly elliptical when seen from above than any of 

 the other species. The broad head, honey tint of the 

 basal abdominal rings, shorter antennae and especially the 

 fuscous hairs about the tip of the abdomen will further 

 distinguish it from De Geer's species. Sometimes a few 

 yellow hairs are present upon the scutellum. 



BOMBUS VIRGINICUS Fabricius. 



Male. Head short and broad ; the front being broader 

 and the eyes narrower than in B. fervidus ; the joints 

 of the antennas are also a little shorter than in that 

 species ; vertex of the head yellow ; between this and 

 the insertion of the antennae the front is often black 

 but more often yellow, while the clypeus is covered 

 with black and yellow hairs. Whole thorax above and 

 beneath, the under side of the femora and basal joint of 

 the abdomen yellow, while the rest of the abdomen is 

 black. Beneath on the side of the abdomen are thin 

 yellow hairs ; the basal yellow portion on the upper 

 side of the abdomen is indented on the mesial line of 

 the body. The legs are a little slenderer than in B. 

 fervidus, while the tarsal joints are more cylindrical, 

 longer, more dilated and provided with longer and 

 slenderer spines; black; tarsal joints tinged slightly 

 with fuscous brown, with fuscous hairs. The whole body 

 is shorter and broader, more elliptical, the abdomen 

 shorter, the sides converge more towards the acute 

 tips ; the wings are paler and the hairs longer and hardly 

 so thick as in B. fervidus. The size of the male is equal 



ESSEX INST. PROCEED. VOL. IV. 0. 



